O'Neill to offer Gillard key to Manus, Parkop seeks to stop move

PAPUA NEW GUINEA'S newly elected leader is willing to negotiate with Australia to open a detention centre for asylum seekers on Manus Island.

The Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, said it was a tragedy when boats full of people sank, pledging PNG would help Australia tackle what was a regional problem.

His comments came in a statement issued after the review headed by the former Defence chief Angus Houston called for Australia to immediately seek to open a centre on Manus Island.

Mr O'Neill said last year he was willing to reopen the centre, which last operated during the Howard era as part of the so-called Pacific Solution.


The last refugee left Manus Island in 2004 after 10 months as the sole detainee, at a cost to Australia of $250,000 a month.

The negotiations with PNG that coincided with Labor's push for a refugee swap with Malaysia last year stalled when a constitutional crisis engulfed the country. A small-scale army mutiny and a police rebellion followed a High Court decision that declared Mr O'Neill had seized power unconstitutionally.

Australia had expressed concern over the political turmoil in PNG, with the Foreign Affairs Minister, Bob Carr, sparking a diplomatic storm by threatening sanctions.

Asked if opening an asylum seeker centre in PNG would curb Australia's ability to pressure PNG, the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said she would continue to raise concerns about political events in the country.

But she said these were ''different days'' since Mr O'Neill had managed to win recent elections.

Mr O'Neill said in a statement that the Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister, Rimbink Pato, would be in charge of talks with Australia.

He also said the Manus provincial government would be consulted so the views and concerns of the Manus people would be taken into account.


A PROMINENT Papua New Guinea politician says he will take legal action to stop Manus Island detention centre being reopened to house asylum seekers.

National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop, a member of Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's coalition government, says a detention centre contradicts PNG's law and culture.

"You cannot detain people here in PNG - even if they are aliens from outer space - we cannot detain them indefinitely," Mr Parkop says.

"That's the law in PNG. It isn't in our culture to lock people up without a charge.

"So absolutely I will take legal action. I am a member of this government, but the government must obey the law."

Mr Parkop said PNG cannot change its laws to suit a "good friend" like Australia, and worried it would set a legal precedent for detaining people without charge in the 37-year-old democracy.

"I call on both governments to obey the law and ... not make a deal for conveniences sake."

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday asylum seekers could begin arriving in Nauru and PNG within a month, after her government agreed to an expert panel's recommendation to reopen detention facilities in both nations.

Ms Gillard said the defence force told her it can construct temporary facilities in both locations while the main centres are being reopened.

"That means that within a month we would hope to see people being processed in Nauru and in PNG," she told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

"That's clearly subject to the work of the recon teams that could go as early as Friday."

Mr O'Neill said in a statement on Monday he welcomed the reopening of the centre.


The Sydney Morning Herald

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 15, 2012 at 7:39 AM

    So Manus has two Governors? Charlie Benjamin cam seek Powes Parkop's help but he should not be acting as if NCD is another Manus' electorate. What a shame Parkop!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 15, 2012 at 7:44 AM

    And third limb governor is doing gardening at Moresby South- a family affair indeed for Social Democratic Party. Wow what a time, what an episode and how bad are the players?

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 15, 2012 at 9:22 AM

    Gillards statements sound as if decision has already been made to move the asylum seekers to Manus. Shouldn't they be talking behind closed doors & only make their decisions public after both countries have come to terms. O'neil has impressed us with his strong stance on matters of interest to our nation in recent times. Who is authority here? O'neil or Gillard?

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 15, 2012 at 9:27 AM

    Parkop is the proxy for Charlie and Peter for Julie. Who is in control- end result will tell!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 15, 2012 at 6:39 PM

    Australia's Visa policy towards PNG is most deplorable. Our govt issues them visas on arrival in Pom and for us, they make it so difficult. Now they want to use our land to help solve their refugee problems. The way Gillard presents her case, we do not seem to have a choice but accept her command. Come on PO and Pato, stand up and be counted, do something to balance things a bit for your people. Ask Bainamara, he'll show you how, since you don't have the balls to stand up against the Aussies.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousAugust 15, 2012 at 7:11 PM

    Seriously, this is AUST issue..why cant they set up in DARWIN? This is yet again anada aust bullyin tactic..PO IS A YESMAN!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousAugust 16, 2012 at 3:09 AM

    Please keep us informed on the progress of this issue because I firmly believe Australia has something else in mind and it sure has nothing to do with our resources and its much deeper than the issue of asylum seekers. As well as their other allies in the likes of the UK and the US, why do you think Australia uses all deceitful tactics and schemes to keep us in their grip? It's simple really - a monkey wouldn't need a banana to work it out.

    This what it's all about. Though it isn't likely to happen (God Forbid...), should one of the mentioned allies decide to declare war with the emerging superpowers of the east, just where do you think their playgrounds will be? Yes, the pacific islands will be the best playing field with PNG being the best place to play hide and seek.

    The asylum thing is just something to divert our attention from the real scheme the Aussies are plotting. Obviously the asylum project has nothing to do with bilateral relationships. The Aussies could put them in the interior part of their country or those islands under their territory where hardly anybody lives on them and process these boat people themselves. Enough Is Enough PM O'Neil, for once can you MPs stop being puppets to the Puppet Masters down south and use your own God given brains to decide what suits best this beautiful contry's sovereignty.

    ReplyDelete
  8. GeorgeAugust 16, 2012 at 1:54 PM

    It's easy for everyone who is not from manus to spew vague and abstract terms like constitution, sovereign rights, visa etc.

    But what we the manus people want, and care about is how will this result in

    money in our pockets,
    food on our table,
    jobs for our youths,
    and spinoffs for our community.

    We don't need outsiders to tell us what we can or can't do with our island. Powes parkop can eat the flowers in his moresby garden, and drink from his water theme park, for all we care.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousAugust 16, 2012 at 2:18 PM

      George, if you are a resident of some other place in PNG outside of Manus, then you must feel like an alien. So why don't you pack and go back to your own Manus island and enjoy whatever Gillard will give to you. You are too short sighted and naive.

      Delete
  9. GeorgeAugust 16, 2012 at 2:40 PM

    Yeah.
    I've seen how far sighted and mature non manus voters are.

    when they reelected paul tungsten, william dumbass, sandline chan, michell blablabag, dunno palo, bypass somare and others to represent the long term interest of png.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousAugust 18, 2012 at 11:45 AM

    George, are you on auto pilot?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousAugust 18, 2012 at 12:24 PM

      George, how much did you Manus people gain from the Australians when the camp was first setup?

      Delete

Post a Comment

Please free to leave comments.

Popular posts from this blog

HIGHLANDS FRAUD F*CKS RUNNING GOVERNMENT AGENCY,,,

Image
A Fraudster and unqualified person has been shortlisted for NEC submission for the position of CEPA Managing Director. The candidate in question is Jude Tukulyia. His academic credentials are subject to scrutiny. Further investigation is required to verify the authenticity and legitimacy of his qualifications, particularly the reported diploma in accounting, Bachelor of Laws, MBA from Divine Word and UPNG respectively. It is very suspicious and unprofessional  when the Minister for Environment Conservation and Climate Change, Hon Simo Kilepa, wrote to UPNG Vice Chancellor asking to confirm Jude’s questioned education qualifications. This very due diligence work is the core responsibility of the Public Service Commission and Department of Personnel Management. What authority does the portfolio minister have to write to the Universities? Dumbfounding indeed if one asks. Ulterior motives written all over the letter. This amounts to  Questionable Academic Qualifications of Mr Tukulyia.    
Read more

AUGUSTINE MANO PNG'S PREMIER CORPORATE CROOK

Image
by  MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN In a significant setback for Mineral Resources Development Corporation (MRDC), the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea has dismissed the company's appeal to stop criminal investigations into its dealings with landowner funds held in the Pacific Balance Fund (PBF). The court ruled that MRDC's appeal was an "abuse of process" and ordered the company to pay costs of the proceedings. MRDC, a unit holder in PBF, had taken legal action against the National Court's decision to dismiss its case, arguing that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter. However, the Supreme Court disagreed and held that MRDC's appeal was nothing more than an attempt to interfere with the police's criminal investigative process. The court found that MRDC had no authority to conducted its own investigation into the activities of the Melanesian Trustee Services Limited (MTSL), the fund manager of PBF, and that its actions were in violation of the Trust Deed
Read more

PNG, VERY RICH YET STILL A VERY VERY POOR COUNTRY

Image
by GARY MONDULAME Papua New Guinea (PNG), a nation blessed with abundant natural resources, continues to grapple with economic challenges that belie its potential wealth. The nation's economic narrative is a paradox—rich in resources yet burdened by poverty. The explanation for this paradox lies not only in economic mismanagement but also in deep-seated corruption that has permeated the political landscape since independence in 1975. Following its independence from Australia, PNG was entrusted to leaders who lacked a vision for a holistic national development. This absence of foresight is evident from the lack of long-term development plans that could have distributed the country’s wealth fairly across all regions and communities. Successive governments failed to establish foundational strategies such as building satellite townships or creating robust rural housing schemes. Instead, they resorted to short-term, reactive measures that did not foster sustainable growth. The nascent l
Read more

BLIND LEADING THE BLIND, WHY THE PNG ECONOMY STILL SUCKS

Image
Elizabeth Genia, Acting Governor Bank of PNG (BPNG) by MICHAEL JOSEPH PASSINGAN The economy of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is at a crucial juncture. Despite some signs of recovery, the country faces several structural challenges that continue to impede its economic progress. The March 2024 Monetary Policy Statement from the Bank of Papua New Guinea sheds light on these issues, providing a comprehensive overview of the economic landscape and the policy responses being implemented to navigate through these turbulent times. In 2023, PNG's economy grew by a modest 1.4%, a significant slowdown from the 5.2% growth witnessed in 2022. This tepid growth is largely attributed to delays in major projects and ongoing economic issues that have not been fully resolved. The anticipated growth for 2024 is around 3.0%, buoyed by the resumption of production at the Porgera gold mine. While this marks an improvement, it remains subdued compared to the potential of this resource-rich nation. One of the mo
Read more

James Marape's Missteps Openly Exposed at Australian Forum

Image
by  MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN  In a recent event that highlighted the complexities of international diplomacy and governance, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, James Marape, faced a challenging situation during his appearance at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia. The Lowy Institute, known for its role as an independent think tank focusing on international policy, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, provided a platform for a candid assessment of Marape's governance. Following his formal address, Marape engaged in a dialogue with Dr. Michael Fullilove AM, the Executive Director of the Institute. Dr. Fullilove, a respected figure in public and international policy, scrutinized Marape's past promises and statements, contrasting them with the current state of affairs in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The discussion took a critical turn as Dr. Fullilove revisited Marape's 2019 speech at the same venue, where Marape had outlined his vision for PNG in a speech titled “A New Boo
Read more

MARAPE & PAITA ABOUT TO SIGN AWAY PNG GOLD

Image
By: Andrew Arthur Prime Minister Hon. James Marape and his planning minister Reinbo Paita are the parties behind the theft of all Papua New Guinea’s gold for the next 100 years! They have given approval for the STATE of Papua New Guinea to sign away all gold rights to an Australian paper company in Refinery Holdings PTE LTD. First, they have done the deal with a paper company even before there is a LAW that says they have the right to do the deal. We see how the real manipulation works out. Marape and Paita now need to get the law passed by Parliament. The law is before the Parliament to set up Papua New Guinea’s first National Gold Corporation. The National Gold Corporation Bill first surfaced in 2012 but successive Government of Sir Michael Somare and Hon. Peter O’Neill, in their wisdom, had refused to pass this Bill as there have been some sinister motives and constitutional issues associated with the Bill. The new bill will allow Refinery Holdings LTD PTE to own 70% of the National
Read more

A Call for Local Ownership and Fairness

Image
by JUSTIN PARKER In recent discussions surrounding the establishment of a gold refinery in Papua New Guinea (PNG), concerns have been raised regarding various aspects of the proposed project. Spearheaded by foreign investors, the initiative has sparked debates over ownership, exclusivity, tax concessions, underwriting, management rights, control over currency, legal protections, and historical failures. These concerns, if unaddressed, could potentially undermine the interests of PNG and its people, particularly the hardworking alluvial miners who form the backbone of the nation's mining sector. At the heart of the issue lies the question of ownership. The proposed ownership structure, favoring foreign investors with a substantial 70% stake, raises eyebrows, especially considering PNG's past experiences with failed ventures like seabed mining. Instead of ceding majority control to foreign entities, many argue that PNG should assert full ownership over the refinery. With the coun
Read more